Ryan Garcia defeated Mario Barrios by unanimous decision on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, claiming the WBC welterweight title. The fight, which headlined a DAZN pay-per-view event, concluded with scores of 118-110, 117-111, and 117-111 in favor of Garcia.
The victory marks a significant turning point for Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs), who had faced recent setbacks including a no-contest result against Devin Haney following a positive drug test for ostarine and a unanimous decision loss to Rolando Romero. The Haney fight, initially ruled a win for Garcia in April 2024, was overturned due to the failed drug test, resulting in a one-year ban for Garcia. Prior to these challenges, Garcia had risen to prominence with 23 consecutive professional wins and a WBC interim lightweight championship in 2021.
Barrios (29-2-2, 18 KOs) entered the bout as the reigning WBC welterweight champion, having secured the title in September 2023 with a unanimous decision over Yordenis Ugas. He was subsequently elevated to full champion in 2024 and successfully defended the belt twice, including a controversial draw against Abel Ramos and a recent fight against Manny Pacquiao in July.
The lead-up to the fight was marked by a personal conflict for Garcia, stemming from the presence of his former trainer, Joe Goossen, in Barrios’ corner. Garcia publicly labeled Goossen a “traitor” following his departure after the loss to Gervonta Davis in April 2023.
The main card commenced at 8 p.m. ET on DAZN pay-per-view, with ring walks for the main event anticipated around 11:50 p.m. ET. The undercard began with prelims at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Barrios had previously defended his welterweight title against Abel Ramos as part of the undercard for the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Netflix boxing event in November 2024.
